artist statement

Penny Seume is a textile designer using site specific imagery from the urban landscape as inspiration for atmosphere, texture and colour. Having completed an MA Design course at Bath Spa University in Textiles, Penny combines traditional fine art techniques of painting and collage with photography and contemporary digital print, to create bespoke and limited edition high quality fabrics and products for interiors. Living and working in Bristol, UK, Penny uses local and global imagery from her travels as inspiration; her unique designs reference the original location in a subtle way and capture some of the inherent mood and magic.

Capturing the landscape initially through photography and sketches, a visual reference of patterns and lines is created and translated back in the studio into layered acrylic and pastel paintings. Often many versions of the same view are painted to finalise composition and balance of colour. Finally collages are made with torn, dyed and painted paper to accurately depict the cityscape colours, mood and shapes, as well as adding layers and texture to reference the original visual information.

Penny then selects high quality natural fabrics – linen, silk or furnishing cotton velvet, because of their tactile nature and rich light absorbing or reflecting properties. The fabric is used as a base on which to print details from the city collages and paintings, using contemporary digital printing techniques with acid reactive dyes. The resulting fabric provides a personal and abstracted view of the city.

In all her work, Penny strives to combine her design training with handcrafted processes and contemporary print techniques, adding small important details such as tiny invisible zips in a colour that harks back to an item in the original landscape.

Penny is a full member of the Devon Guild and a licentiate member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen, receiving a Distinction award at the Jan 2013 Society of Designer Craftsmen annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, Piccadilly for her New York inspired body of work, in recognition of the high standard of design and craft demonstrated in her practice.. In Jan 2012 Penny was shortlisted for New Design Britain for her New York fabrics, winning a highly commended award and a stand at Interiors UK.

All designs are created, printed and handmade in the UK using natural fabrics, velvet, silk or linen.